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A bear found a buffet of discarded items in a trash bin at a Monrovia home. The black bear tore open a garbage bag, the scarfed down whatever it found appetizing during the early morning picnic. (Published Friday, Oct. 25, 2013)

A bear found a buffet of discarded items in a trash bin at a Monrovia home early Friday, clawing its way through a shredded garbage bag full of snacks that it devoured in front of the house.

The black bear tore open garbage bags, then took a seat on the property's front lawn to scarf down yogurt, frosting and whatever else it found appetizing. The bear was last seen wandering off behind the house in the foothill community east of Los Angeles.

The bear was seen in the 500 block of North Alta Vista Avenue at about 3:45 a.m.

California's black bear population is at about 25,000 to 30,000, with most living in mountain areas above 3,000 feet, according to what the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife calls conservative estimates. In 1982, the statewide bear population was estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000.

Less than 10 percent of the state's black bear population lives in the central western and southwestern California region, according to agency estimates. About half of the population resides in an area north and west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The Deparment of Fish and Wildlife has recorded 12 "bear attacks" since 1980. An attack is defined as "physical contact, injury or death."

The last reported attack in Los Angeles County occurred in July 2003 when a hiker was knocked down by a bear at a campsite on Pacific Crest Trail in Angeles National Forest. The hiker received minor injuries.